Our message to the new government

We welcome the new government’s recognition of the importance of civil society and the vital role of community organisers. bassac’s members have a long history of community organising  in some of the UK’s most deprived communities. We look forward to working with the new government to identify ways in which it can add to existing collective community action to develop this work.

Citizens having a say

Not everyone finds it easy to speak out about issues in their community. We want to work with the government to improve the connection between formal local decision-making and our members – they work in a way that encourages all parts of the community to have their say. People already feeling excluded may well become more isolated after spending cuts; our members reach out to marginalised communities and counter this fragmentation of society.

Co-design of services

We believe that our members are well placed to deliver responsive and appropriate services that meet local needs. We will be asking the new government to work with us on improving the opportunities for smaller community-based organisations to co-design and deliver key public services.

Sustainable communities

bassac has always supported the Sustainable Communities Act and the power this gives local people to take action in their communities. The Liberal Democrats have supported the Sustainable Communities Act Amendment Bill which would give this legislation greater impact - we will push for this to become a priority in the forthcoming legislative timetable.

Voicing members' concerns

In the next few weeks we will be seeking to meet Nick Hurd, the new Minister for Civil Society and Eric Pickles MP, the new Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government to brief them on members' concerns and talk about our key policy asks.